Administrative overview · FIPS 48353
Nolan County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Nolan County Judge/Floodplain Administration; TCEQ Region 3 OSSF Program
For a project in or near Nolan County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Nolan County Judge/Floodplain Administrator Whitley May: 325-235-2263; TCEQ Region 3 - Abilene: 325-698-9674; TCEQ OSSF Program: 512-239-3799
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Nolan County Judge, 100 East Third Street, Suite 105, Sweetwater, TX 79556; TCEQ Region 3, 1977 Industrial Boulevard, Abilene, TX 79602-7833
Operating hours
TCEQ offices: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM except state holidays. Nolan County publishes no fixed floodplain permit-office hours.
Review expectation
TCEQ must approve a complete OSSF application or issue a written denial within 30 days. No county floodplain or building review timeline was published.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Nolan County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Nolan County Judge/Floodplain Administration; TCEQ Region 3 OSSF Program is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Nolan County Judge/Floodplain Administrator Whitley May: 325-235-2263; TCEQ Region 3 - Abilene: 325-698-9674; TCEQ OSSF Program: 512-239-3799.
How long might review take?
TCEQ must approve a complete OSSF application or issue a written denial within 30 days. No county floodplain or building review timeline was published.
How are inspections scheduled?
Contact County Judge and Floodplain Administrator Whitley May at 325-235-2263 before development in a mapped flood hazard area; the county publishes no online floodplain application or inspection-booking procedure. For septic work, submit current TCEQ Form 0235 with the legal description, site and soil evaluation, installer information, and planning materials to Region 3, then coordinate authorization and inspection at 325-698-9674. Do not begin construction before authorization or cover the system before required inspection.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Nolan County designates the County Judge as floodplain administrator for unincorporated areas, but the county does not publish a current flood-damage-prevention order or code edition online. Texas OSSF requirements under Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285 are administered through TCEQ Region 3 where no authorized local agent serves the site. No general county structural building-code edition or county zoning code was published for unincorporated property in 2026. No county minor or cosmetic building-work exemption list was published. State OSSF permitting has a narrow exemption for one single-family residence on an undivided tract of at least 10 acres when a licensed site evaluator or professional engineer confirms the conditions, every system component is at least 100 feet from the property line, effluent remains on the tract, and the system creates no nuisance or groundwater pollution. Emergency OSSF repairs must be reported in writing within 72 hours; qualifying older, unaltered systems may remain grandfathered only while they do not create a nuisance.